Devin Booker’s 3-point shot has been off all season, but it finally looked right during All-Star Weekend. Booker finished second in the 3-point contest behind only Damian Lillard. Booker is now a veteran of the event and hopefully can propel this momentum into an improvement from behind the arc.
Devin Booker’s 3-point shooting needs to bounce back
Booker has been a great leader for the Suns this season, and rightfully earned his All-Star spot as a result. He’s been the catalyst for a surprising playoff team, but the one thing that’s been missing is his outside shot. Booker is actually shooting a career-low 31% from three-point range.
But his picture-perfect jumper came through in the 3-Point Contest once again. There's a reason Booker keeps getting selected for the league's midseason shooting exhibition - he has a beautiful shot and performs well under pressure. He even won the event way back in 2018 and has been a top finisher multiple other times.
Suns fans are hoping he will carry that confidence in his jumpshot into the remaining regular season and playoffs. This season has been a huge shooting anomaly for Booker, who has been a solid shooter for most of his career. If he can get back closer to his career 35% average from behind the arc, the Suns offense will look much better.
With his skilled scoring repertoire and consistent shooting technique, it's hard for defenses to stop Booker from getting the shots that he wants. If those shots start falling more regularly, his 25 points per game could jump up a bit and even open up more playmaking opportunities.
Booker has shown his growth as a complete player this season. His passing has been key to Phoenix's offense and he remains a solid overall scorer despite his 3-point difficulties. Perhaps most importantly, he's given enough effort on defense to help the Suns thrive on that end.
Fortunately, the Suns have been able to weather Booker's shooting struggles because of their shooting depth elsewhere. Phoenix ranks 8th in the NBA in threes made per game and the trio of Grayson Allen, Collin Gillespie and Royce O'Neale deserve a lot of credit for that. Allen is top 10 in threes made per game while the other two are both shooting at least 40% on about 7 attempts per game.
Devin Booker joining the party as an elite shooter would do wonders for the Suns offense. It's an element that will need to show up in crunch time during the playoffs when opposing defenses can shut off the Suns' other options. Hopefully, Booker's standout performance in the 3-Point Contest will spark a revitalization for his in-game shooting as well.